Chiharu Sai

Selected by Japan’s major newspaper, Mainichi Shimbun, as “One of the 100 People in Tokyo to Represent the 21st Century,” pianist Chiharu Sai performs widely as a soloist and chamber musician throughout Japan and the United States.Her performances have met wide acclaim for their “great verve and refreshing power” (Chopin Magazine). She made her New York debut at Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall, as a winner of the Artist International Special Presentation Award in 2002. The New York Concert Review described her playing as “dazzling, high-spirited.....(having) great brilliance. Ms. Sai played both the D major and E-flat major Prelude by Rachmaninoff exquisitely.” Since then, she has given concerts through major venues both in Japan and the United States. The renowned critic Harris Goldsmith, a former writer for New York Times and High Fidelity, said of Ms. Sai’s performance of Mozart’s piano concertos at Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall, “Ms. Sai proved herself to be a Mozartean of refreshingly unusual potency. She is one of those rarities: an artist who is unafraid to explore the white-hot passion of the Salzburg genius”. Upon hearing Ms. Sai’s performance at Opera City Hall in Tokyo, the music critic Yukiko Hagiya wrote, “This critic wishes that she would cross the Pacific Ocean more often to enthrall the classical music fans of Japan.”Ms. Sai’s recent performance highlights include a performance of two Mozart piano concertos, KV415 in C major and KV449 in E-flat major, arranged by the composer for piano and string quartet, with the New York Amadeus String Quartet at Carnegie’s Weill Hall. The program was repeated shortly afterwards in Tokyo at Suntory Hall, and as in New York, it commemorated the 250th Anniversary of the Mozart’s birth.Ms. Sai balances her performance schedule with an active involvement in music education and pedagogy. In the past, she has performed at a Tokyo public school event described by the widely-read Japanese newspaper Yomiuri Shinbun as “a high class performance creating a moving experience for young students”. She was also invited to give a concert entitled “Classics on Christmas Eve,” sponsored by the city of Tokyo. The event was a part of “Kodomo Taiken Jyuku” (“The School of Experience for Children”), which offers children an authentic experience in various genres such as music, theater, or science, in order to develop understanding and appreciation.An active teacher, she has served on the faculty of the Manhattan School of Music’s summer program and has also taught at various music schools and private institutions in New York City and the Tri-State area. As an adjudicator and clinician, she is invited to judge piano competitions for young artists as well as give lecture-recitals and masterclasses for piano teachers’ associations.Her upcoming engagements include performances with orchestras, solo recitals in Europe, and solo and chamber music concerts in Japan and the United States.

Ms. Sai holds a Doctorate of Musical Arts in Piano Performance from the Manhattan School of Music. Her doctoral dissertation is entitled “The Proportional Function of the Cadenza in the First Movements of Mozart’s Piano Concertos.” Her mentors include Fumiko Yoshida, Mack McCray, and Jean-David Coen.Reviews:

“Ms. Sai proved herself to be a Mozartean of refreshingly unusual potency. She is one of those rarities: an artist who is unafraid to explore the white-hot passion of the Salzburg genius.” … Harris Goldsmith, New York Concert Review“great verve and refreshing power” … Chopin Piano Magazine“This critic wishes that she would cross the Pacific Ocean more often to enthrall the classical music fans of Japan.” … Yukiko Hagiya, MusicCcritic“Chiharu Sai’s performances of Chopin’s Ballades and Scherzi demonstrate a deep identification with their celebrated creator’s genius. Ms. Sai’s bold approach to these works creates a quasi-visual impression in the listener’s mind, a veritable panorama in sound. Here are passionate performances which, like the music itself, have much in common with the composer’s nationalistic fervor, as well as his spiritual, if not physical health. While some interpretations of Chopin’s music exhibit the performer’s sense of self-intoxication; Ms. Sai’s are straight-forward, yet deeply expressive.” … Yoshiko Ikuma, Music Journalist and Critic